How Does Tinnitus Relate to Hearing Loss?

by Jennifer Abbott | Oct 30, 2020 | Client Resources, Hearing Loss, Tinnitus

Despite tinnitus being a significantly widespread issue, there is a surprising lack of public awareness about it.

How Does Tinnitus Relate to Hearing Loss?

Millions of people across Canada are affected by tinnitus, causing them to be exposed to unpleasant sounds and noises that no one else can hear.

What is Tinnitus?

Tinnitus occurs when you are consciously able to hear sounds that are not generated from outside the body. These sounds can vary considerably from person to person, and can be chronic or fleeting, light or severe.

Potential Symptoms of Tinnitus

People report a wide range of auditory sensations due to tinnitus, and effects might include:

Steady high-pitched ringing
Beeps, chirps, or clicking
Whistling, hissing, or static
Buzzing, roaring, or humming
Pulsing or musical beats
Other continuous or intermittent sounds

Despite tinnitus being a significantly widespread issue, there is a surprising lack of public awareness about it.

Is Tinnitus a disease?

Tinnitus in itself is not an illness, it is generally an indicator of another underlying health condition which may or may not involve hearing loss. Although it is quite often the result of prolonged exposure to loud noises, it may also be a symptom other health problems.

Potential Causes of Tinnitus

Tinnitus may be caused by a variety of factors, including:

Extensive exposure to loud noises
Ear and sinus infections
Excess buildup of wax in the ear canal causing blockages
Head or neck injuries
Cardiovascular disease
High blood pressure or cholesterol
Brain tumors
Hormonal changes
Diabetes
Middle ear complications
Meniere’s disease
Side effect of medications
Age-induced hearing loss

Impact of Tinnitus on Daily Living

Depending on the severity of tinnitus it can be debilitating, causing significant impacts on daily routines. Persistent problems with tinnitus may lead to:

Difficulty focusing and concentrating
Chronic fatigue
Increased stress
Memory issues
Trouble sleeping
Quickly becoming irritable or aggravated
Anxiety and depression

Diagnosis and Treatment for Tinnitus

If you are hearing strange noises or experiencing any of the symptoms listed above it is recommended to seek the assistance of a hearing professional as soon as possible. This will help determine if tinnitus is in fact the issue, and if so provide a clearer picture of the underlying issues contributing to the problem.Some of the questions a hearing professional may address can include:

How often and how loud are the sounds you are hearing?
Do you have any other existing health conditions?
Is there any associated dizziness or jaw pain?
Have you recently been exposed to any exceptionally loud noises?
Are you experiencing any hearing loss?

Treatment

Since there is no actual cure for tinnitus, treatment involves addressing the underlying causes. Some typical treatments may involve:

Caring for ear infections or removing wax buildup
Relaxation techniques to minimize effects
Sound therapy
Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT)
Counselling and education
Medications
Hearing aids

Hearing Loss Related Tinnitus

If your tinnitus is the result of hearing loss, hearing aids can be a huge help in resolving the issue. Hearing aids can help treat hearing loss related tinnitus in two ways:

Restoring hearing frequency rang
Masking undesirable sounds

Restoring Hearing Frequency Range

Hearing aids can help people with hearing loss get back to the normal range of sounds they have been accustomed to hearing. Amplifying impaired sound frequencies can have a direct effect on the symptoms of tinnitus. Even if the hearing aid doesn’t eliminate the sounds caused by tinnitus, it can amplify more pleasant external sounds, so the tinnitus is not so piercing and all-encompassing.

Masking Undesirable Sounds

Many models of modern hearing aids come equipped with tinnitus-masking capabilities to drown out unpleasant sounds with white noise or soothing music depending on the pitch and intensity of your specific tinnitus condition.

Do you know somebody that needs to see this? Why not share it?

Jennifer Abbott

Jennifer Abbott brings over 25 years of experience in business. She has worked in multiple industries, including insurance brokerage, aviation, and health. Her career journey enabled her to acquire impeccable skills to help people find solutions in any situation. Jennifer is well travelled. She has lived and worked in Dubai for award-winning Emirates Airline. Jennifer has enjoyed working in a multicultural environment. Her offshore work empowered her to learn about various cultures from over 100 different nationalities. Upon her return home, Jennifer pursued her studies as a Hearing Aid Practitioner. While working in a hearing clinic, she became aware of some people’s challenges getting to their appointment. She realized that those people were not getting the proper hearing aid help they needed, which compromised their hearing. People’s struggles inspired her to establish the first unique 100% mobile hearing clinic in the lower mainland. As the founder of Hear at Home Mobile Hearing Clinic, Jennifer’s mission is to improve her client’s quality of life at any age. She has in-depth experience with hearing testing fitting, recommending hearing aids and working with older populations suffering from cognitive decline and Dementia.

Request a Callback

"*" indicates required fields

The Hear at Home Promise

Our Pinky Promise to You

Your partner for life – as a locally owned and independent business, you’ll have the confidence that we’ll be here long into the future to be your hearing care partners for life. We’re not a pop-up business that will be gone tomorrow.
Access to all levels of technology – as an independent business, we will help you to find the right technology for your unique needs through our wide range of partnerships with major manufactures. Unlike many others, you’re not limited to just one manufacturer.
Honesty and integrity – our 14 year reputation has been built based on always doing the right thing. You’ll benefit from transparency, honesty and the highest levels of integrity.
Benefit from us helping thousands of local people – with thousands of delighted patients since 2009, you will benefit from partnering with the highest-rated team of hearing care experts in Greater Vancouver that have helped many others to achieve the outcomes that you’re looking for.

Categories

				Harry Haley			

							I live in Richmond and over the 4 years of using hearing aids I extremely happy with the prompt service that I have received from Hear at Home.  I email Hear at Home when I have a question or need help adjusting my hearing aids and I receive replies back the same day answering my questions.  Further, I am able to make appointments at convenient locations and times to assist me.  In addition, Hear at Home taught me how to use the many features on the hearing aids so I can better utilize them so I can enjoy my activities much more.  I will buy my next set of hearing aids from Hear at Home.
read moreread less
 04/10/2017

				Aurora Scott			

							What an incredible experience- Jennifer’s caring, knowledgeable & professional approach helped us immensely! We recently had our mom fitted with hearing aids, and with Jennifer’s expertise, the process was smoother & more positive than we could ever expect- from choosing the product to offering advice & guidance for all of us. Most importantly she helped our mom feel comfortable & the result has been truly life-changing. Cannot recommend Hear At Home more highly!! Thank you 🙂
read moreread less
 02/06/2019

				D Silverwood			

							We would highly recommend Jennifer and the Hear at Home team for all your hearing needs. My dad got his hearing aids from Jennifer over 10 years ago and my mom has had hers for the last couple of years. Jennifer is very knowledgeable, professional, thoughtful, a real pleasure to work with and always goes above and beyond. It was such a bonus for us that Jennifer was able to come to our home to for my dad’s hearing needs as he had mobility challenges. I recently brought my mom to Jennifer’s new office in the Delbrook Plaza which is beautiful, very accessible and has lots of free parking. Our family  definitely recommends Hear at Home!!
read moreread less
 30/01/2023

				D H			

							Jennifer came to our home to test my mother's hearing, gave us a report and helped us assess our options.  There was no sales pressure and we later bought a set of hearing aids from Hear at Home.  The follow-up service was excellent, including 3 review visits to my mother's care home.  It has made a big difference to our ability to communicate with my mom.  Highly recommend Hear at Home.
read moreread less
 18/04/2022

				Ruth Brown			

							Jennifer thank you for today with Dad.  He greatly appreciate’s the care and attention you give him regarding his hearing loss.  It’s such an important part of communication and as he ages he is more aware of the impact of the loss of his hearing.  What he learned today will make his holiday in Atlanta more enjoyable- thanks 🙏🏽
read moreread less
 18/10/2019

				Richard George			

							I was looking for a certified ear wax removal as I thought that was the cause of my hearing issues and I found Hear At Home. Jennifer did a ear exam and removed wax build up from ears. I can hear clearly again! She also did a hearing test and took the time to talk through my results. Jennifer and the team were helpful, and hospitable. Provided excellent service. I highly recommend them!
read moreread less
 09/04/2023

				Janet Pursell			

							After my family noted that they had to repeat things to me and I had also noted that I was missing parts of conversations, I contacted Hear At Home for assistance.  I encountered professional, friendly and personalized service which included a hearing assessment, education on hearing loss and a review of hearing aid options.  I found out that my hearing loss was limited to one ear and I was fitted with a hearing aid that is so small that it is almost invisible!  I can now hear much better in social and work situations and would highly recommend Hear At Home for its exceptional service! 

Thanks Hear At Home!
read moreread less
 24/01/2022

				Jennifer L			

							I don’t usually write reviews for companies, but I just had to share my experience this time. Jennifer was attentive, efficient and professional. My grandmother lost her hearing aid at her nursing home. Jennifer understood the urgency and got it replaced as soon as possible, by rushing to the home as soon as she got the hearing aid mailed to her. Every step of the way, she took the time to communicate with my family as well as the nursing home staff. She would send me pictures and call me to keep me updated. She also made sure that we were completely satisfied with the product. Jennifer went above and beyond by helping my family manage a very stressful situation. I would recommend her to anyone looking for a hearing aid for themselves or a loved one.
read moreread less
 27/10/2021

				Cherri			

							Jennifer, was a real life saver when mom lost one of her hearing aids while at the hospital.  Jennifer came to mom's bedside, took measurements of mom's ears and ordered a new set of hearing aids.  Mom is very happy with both Jennifer and her new hearing aids!  After mom returned home, Jennifer visited us at home and checked on mom.  Recently, Jennifer visited us again and checked on mom's hearing aids and gave mom another hearing test.  While examining mom's ears, Jennifer discovered wax build up,  and made the suggestion to see our doctor for an ear flush.  We would not of known about the wax, if Jennifer had not examined mom's ears.  Jennifer has taken the stress out of both the management of  mom's hearing and the maintenance of her hearing aids.  We can not thank you enough Jennifer!
read moreread less
 27/10/2021

				Kit Baker			

							Jennifer has always been ready to help..she knows her business very well..and I love her to bits and highly recommend her to anyone.     Kit Baker
read moreread less
 29/04/2019